1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for separating hydrocarbon products, such as oil, from water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many situations in which hydrocarbon products, hereafter called oils, become mixed with water. As is well known, the oil floats to the top of the water due to its lower density.
One industrial application in which the oils must be separated from water occurs for an industrial washer. In such a washer, water is sprayed on machined parts which oftentimes contain cutting oils and the like from various machining operations. In such industrial washers, typically numerous water jets spray water against the part thus removing any oil and dirt contained on the part.
Thereafter, the water and oil mixture is collected within a reservoir. A pump then pumps the water and oil mixture from the reservoir to an elevated settling tank in which the oil is allowed to separate from the water. The separated oil is then drained from the water and disposed of in any conventional fashion while the water itself is recycled to the industrial washer.
The previously known systems for separating oils from water in industrial washers, however, suffer from a number of disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that the pump which pumps the water and oil mix from the reservoir to the settling tank is typically a piston pump. Such piston pumps are not only bulky and expensive, but are also prone to failure and require frequent maintenance. Furthermore, the oils, debris and the like which passes through the pump can damage, clog or otherwise interfere with the operation of the pump.
A still further disadvantage of these previously known systems for separating oils from water for an industrial washer is that the level of the water and oil mix in the reservoir will vary throughout the operation of the industrial washer. The pump for the separator then pumps all of the liquid in the reservoir to the settling tank. As such, only a dilute mixture of oil is pumped from the reservoir to the settling tank. Consequently, the settling tanks for these previously known industrial washers are necessarily large and thus expensive in order to accommodate and satisfactorily separate the rather dilute mixture of oil and water in the settling tank.